What’s Keeping You from Living Out Your Spring Break Dreams?

Allcot family travel plans may look different than prior years

Inflation is a bummer, especially for families with a passion for travel. Our family opted to stay home for winter break. It looks like we may not be going away for spring break, either. We’re in the middle of bedroom and home office renovation projects that have been slow going. We decided to prioritize these home improvements, along with a Fios Internet service upgrade that requires temporarily rearranging the garage.

As a positive note, skipping a lengthy spring trip gives me an opportunity to catch up on a ton of travel destination content I’ve been collecting for Geek Travel Guide.

Trending: Short Trips and Staycations

We aren’t alone in scaling back our travel plans. A recent survey from Coupon Cabin shared that 38% of people are cutting their spring trips short to save money. While money is a factor for us, time is an even bigger consideration.

That also tracks with the survey results. Fewer than half of the people polled who aren’t taking trips this year cited money as the key concern. However, when asked why they think others are skipping their vacation, 74% of respondents attributed it to finances.

Hmmm… it makes you think! Things are not always what they seem.

Northeast Day Trips

As for Allcot family travels, we may take a few day trips or even an overnight stay. There’s plenty to see in the Northeast and plenty of cities we haven’t explored nearby, along with ones (like Montclair, NJ, and New Hope, PA) that we want to visit again!

And, of course, we have our favorite attractions like Kartrite Resort & Waterpark and American Dream Mall, both less than three hours away, that would make a great, affordable mid-week getaway.

We’ve taken several day trips to New York City (and have a few in the works!) so you can expect to see more of the best geek-oriented places to visit in Manhattan as the weather warms up.

What’s Going on with Six Flags?

With Kingda Ka gone from Six Flags: Great Adventure, we aren’t as enthusiastic about the 2025 season opening as we have been for past years.  

We remain loyal members, upgraded (involuntarily) from Platinum to Diamond, so I’m waiting to see how things pan out in the first full season following the Six Flags – Cedar Fair merger. We know a lot of amusement park / roller coaster fans are wondering the same.

As members, a day trip to Great Adventure requires virtually no cash outlay, other than gas and tolls. It’s tempting to jump out for the grand opening of The Flash roller coaster on March 29. Especially since we also get 25% off most food as Diamond members, which will help keep costs in check.

The family has agreed we will not buy a Flash Pass or wait on a 2-hour-plus line for the new coaster. I made that costly mistake with Jersey Devil on its opening weekend. Since then we’ve been able to walk straight-on JD, and ride it multiple times in a row.  

Forty Percent of Travelers Plan to Drive in 2025

The survey also showed that 40% of travelers plan to drive instead of fly, while 49% are seeking cheaper accommodations. More than half (51%) are seeking out deals, which is always a good idea.

We have always preferred road trips. They make it easier to keep a flexible schedule, save money, and plan shorter trips. I just hope that more road-trippers doesn’t mean more traffic congestion on major highways like I-80 and I-95. Who am I kidding? Of course it will!

To keep you sane and comfortable on your journey, check out some of my favorite finds for your spring break road trip here.